First question answered

The first question I've been asked about is my allergy to salt. It's rather interesting, I must say, it makes my life a bit more challenging for sure. We first noticed a sensitivity to salt when I was a teen. My lips would turn white if I ate too much, or they would swell (along with my eyes) when swimming at the beach, and my skin would turn red. It wasn't a huge problem, and it didn't keep me from going to the beach, or eating those peanuts, but as I got older, it became a little more inhibiting. By the time I was 20 I was unable to eat potato chips, or boxed foods. Currently, canned good, boxed food, food with preservatives and food that has salt on it are a big no-no. As most of you know, salt is in almost everything, so I can't avoid it completely, which means I have sores on my tongue almost constantly. (not nice, I know.) If I eat Mexican food my mouth bleeds and my tongue swells up. All of my food is rather bland tasting because I can't season with salt. Every once in a while I'll throw in a dash of sea salt, which doesn't seem to be as harsh, but for the most part, we avoid it as much as we can. My husband and my kids have grown to not care about eating more bland food, and to pay close attention to sodium levels in foods. If I want to try something new, I always read the label to see how much sodium is in it. I count the mg of sodium I take in each day and try not to go over my daily limit, which is about 500-600 mg. The normal recommended levels are no more than 2400 and no less than 500. Very few people eat LESS than 2400 mg of sodium per day. Especially if they are regular eaters of pre-prepared meals.

I manage to get by from day to day, though. There are days when I have no choice but to eat some that has my daily limit in just one meal, and those days can be rough, but for the most part no one can tell I have a problem. I've learned what foods are high in sodium and what foods are usually safe, and there are times when we go out to eat and I feel like there is nothing I can have on the menu, but after a few days my mouth heals and I'm back to normal. It's just a matter of adjusting and adapting, no different than someone who is allergic to peanuts, I would think. Only I don't go into anaphylactic shock if I munch on some french fries.

If you have any other questions, check out my list of facts and post a comment with your question!!